HTF Advisory Forum Newsletter 25th October

Posted on 30 October 2023

Advisory Forum Newsletter   This newsletter is an opportunity for Human Trafficking Foundation (HTF) Forum members to publicise events, projects, research, campaigns and job opportunities. You can see recordings or download minutes of our previous online events here.  This fortnightly newsletter goes out to over 1,500 individuals working in anti-trafficking. To share information for the newsletter, please contact [email protected]     Announcements Anti-Slavery Day Awards Winners  Every year, the Human Trafficking Foundation hosts Anti-Slavery Day Awards to celebrate the work done by the media to highlight important issues of human trafficking, and those who have made an outstanding contribution to the fight against modern slavery. 2023’s awards were held on Tuesday 17th October. Our outstanding contribution winners are as follows: Reducing Vulnerabilities Award: Shalini Patel, Duncan Lewis Solicitors Rebuilding Lives Award: Emily Chalke and Maria Rente, Ella’s Empowering Survivor Voices Award: Olessya Glasson, MSPEC and Modern Slavery Survivor Collective Statutory Services Award: Harjeet Chakira, West Midlands Police Read more about our Media and Outstanding Contributions award winners here. Survivor Care Standards Request The Human Trafficking Foundation and the University of Nottingham Rights Lab are keen to hear how your organisation uses the Slavery and Trafficking Survivor Care Standards. Is it used as a handbook for your frontline staff? Has it helped shape your policies or staff training? Do you have any examples of how the Standards have been successfully used to strengthen care for survivors? If so, we’d love to hear from you, so please contact Louisa. Change to the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance A change to the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance was published on Monday 9th October 2023. Following a change in Allocation of Asylum Accommodation policy, potential victims referred into the National Referral Mechanism can be accommodated at large sites, vessels and room shares prior to a Reasonable Grounds decision. Survivors who have received a positive Reasonable Grounds decision will continue to not be accommodated at these sites. ‘Family Worker Exemption’ Update Following campaigning by a coalition of organisations, and ATLEU’s April 2023 success at the Employment Appeal Tribunal which confirmed the unlawfulness of the ‘Family Worker Exemption’, the government has taken measures to implement its March 2022 commitment to scrap the Exemption from National Minimum Wage regulations. The ‘Family Worker Exemption’ allowed employers to avoid paying the National Minimum Wage, or any wage at all, to their live-in domestic and childcare workers, if the worker is ‘treated as a member of the family’. Read more here. St Mary’s University Questionnaire for Legal Practitioners St Mary’s University are conducting a survey for Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation (RENATE). They are seeking information about the training that legal practitioners working with survivors of modern slavery received to aid their practice. They also want to identify challenges to providing legal assistance to victims of human trafficking in your country. The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete and can be found here until 31st November 2023.     Reports and Publications Human Trafficking Foundation Report – The Key Issue The Human Trafficking Foundation, supported by Commonweal Housing, has published a report outlining the housing landscape for survivors of modern slavery. Survivors are entitled to safe and appropriate accommodation under ECAT and yet access to safe and appropriate housing is full of challenges. There is a common misconception that the majority of adult survivors of modern slavery in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) are housed in a safehouse under the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). In reality, this cohort only accounts for 13%, with the vast majority (87%) of adult survivors living in accommodation outside the MSVCC, such as in asylum or social housing, in potentially precarious living situations with friends and family or placed in detention or prison. Read more here. Unseen Report – Who Cares? A Review of Reports of Exploitation in the Care Sector Unseen’s new report into labour exploitation in the care sector reveals a huge increase in contacts from care workers – particularly those who have come to the UK from overseas. It reveals a 606% increase in care work-related modern slavery cases reported by the Unseen Helpline in 2022. 712 potential victims of modern slavery were indicated to the Helpline, up from 106 the previous year. Read the full report here. MSOIC Unit Investigations Overview – September 2023 The Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit have published their Non-LEA Overview of Live Modern Slavery Investigations in UK Policing.The document covers data for September 2023, and is produced to help inform the work that non-law enforcement agencies are doing in response to Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. Read the document here.. LAWRS Report – Behind Closed Doors: Experiences of Latin American Domestic Workers in the UK The Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS) have published a research report, which draws from 12 in-depth interviews with Latin American victims and survivors of domestic servitude. This report outlines the characteristics of the sector, highlighting the high levels of isolation, exploitation and abuse that are endemic within it, and looks into the specific ways these affect women workers in the Latin American community. Read the full report including their recommendations here. IOM Mid-Year NRM Data Briefing The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has published a 2023 mid-year NRM data briefing, which focuses on four key highlights from analysis of the UK Data Service NRM data following changes introduced through the Nationality and Borders Act. In the first 6 months of 2023 there were significant variations in the proportion of positive Reasonable Grounds (RG) decisions by nationality: 86% of RG decisions for UK nationals were positive compared to 40% for foreign nationals. The analysis also finds unprecedented differences in the proportion of positive RG decisions based on First Responder. Read the briefing here. Voice of the Victim in Police Service Design Report The National Policing Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP) has published a research project, Voice of the Victim in Police Service design, which explores how to improve the way police forces work with survivors at a strategic and operational level. This is the first known research project to hear directly from those working in policing, to know what helps or hinders them in prioritising, hearing and responding to the voices of survivors. Read the report here. CCLA and United Nations University Policy Brief – Artificial Intelligence: Addressing or Distorting the Modern Slavery Challenge? CCLA Investment Management have published a report based on a roundtable held in collaboration with UNU and MSPEC that aim to answer the question: how might AI enhance the aggregation and assessment of data on modern slavery risk and on businesses’ anti-modern slavery endeavours? The discussion revealed the challenges that investors and businesses face in assessing modern slavery risks (including legal and ethical challenges), and explored how stakeholders can harness the capabilities of AI to help them detect and assess these risks. Read the report here. Bureau of Investigative Journalism Article – Home Office Ignored Migrant Workers Abuses on Farms The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has published an article highlighting migrant worker abuses on farms in the UK, and the way in which the Home Office knew about these allegations but did not implement any action. Inspectors heard hundreds of allegations of threats, wage theft and racism, with 44% of the workers interviewed raising welfare issues. Read the article here. Hestia Report – Underground Lives: Albanian Survivors of Modern Slavery Hestia’s new report explores the experiences of Albanian survivors of modern slavery, one of the most common nationalities supported by their response team. The report highlights fears of re-exploitation among Albanian survivors of modern slavery, finding that only 46% of interviewed survivors had reported their experiences to the police. Out of those that had, only 22% said they had received an update from the police regarding the investigation. Read the report here. Salvation Army Annual Report 2023 The Salvation Army has released its latest Annual report from the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC), covering July 2022-June 2023. The report summarises key data regarding demographics of its service users and types of exploitation, alongside developments to the MSVCC. Read the report here. British Red Cross – State of the Nation The British Red Cross’ State of the Nation report on the UK asylum system brings together the latest data on the asylum and modern slavery systems. It covers who is claiming asylum in the UK, how they are arriving, how they are being supported while they wait for a decision and who is being granted protection. It also presents data on survivors of modern slavery in the UK. Government County Lines Guidance Updates The government guidelines for frontline professionals on dealing with criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults across county lines has been updated. The guidance outlines the definition of county lines, signs to look for in potential victims and what to do about it. A Welsh translation of the document has also been added. Read the guidance here. OSCE Report: Sexual Service Websites A new report mapping the online landscape of risks of trafficking in human beings on sexual services websites across the OSCE regions has been published. The report maps almost 2,900 sex services websites across the OSCE regions containing more than 3 million ads, marking the most extensive research ever done on this subject. Of the 40 OSCE participating States that were analyzed, the report found that platforms facilitating possible exploitative sexual activity are a common feature in a vast majority of them. Read the report here.     Events & Training Snowdrop Training:  Supporting People with Complex Trauma  Snowdrop is delighted to be offering training designed to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to support people in their recovery from trauma. Deepen your understanding of what constitutes complex trauma, gain practical techniques to support those affected, and discover effective strategies to manage the impact on yourself. For more information and to book a place, visit Snowdrop’s website.     Vacancies Hope at Home Vacancy Hope at Home supports volunteer hosts to house survivors in their homes, preventing homelessness and re-trafficking. They are recruiting a Hosting Coordinator, based remotely with regular travel for 28 hours per week. The successful candidate will recruit hosts in the South of England, support active hosts, facilitate placements and continue to develop relationships with referral agencies. Applications close 12th November. More information and apply here. AFRUCA Vacancy AFRUCA established the UK BME/Diaspora Anti-Slavery Network (BASNET), a growing network of diaspora, black and ethnic charitable organisations working in migrant communities to address modern slavery and human trafficking across the UK. They are expanding BASNET by recruiting a Policy and Research Manager, to further strengthen their work on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the UK Modern Slavery space. The closing date is flexible. Apply here. Modern Slavery Policy and Evidence Centre (MSPEC) Vacancy MSPEC was created to enhance understanding of modern slavery and transform the effectiveness of laws and policies designed to address it. They are currently recruiting a Lived Experience Engagement Coordinator, 22.5 hours per week to cover maternity leave. The successful candidate will hold lived experience of modern slavery and/or trafficking and have an understanding of modern slavery in the UK. They will support the day-to-day administration of the Centre’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel. The deadline is 5th November. Apply here.     HTF Resources   Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) Consultancy The Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) was established to ensure the expertise of those with lived-experience is embedded in the work of the anti-trafficking sector and is made up of independent consultants who co-work with HTF. LEAP can offer the development and delivery of training (online, pre-recorded and in person), work with organisations to create or redesign training packages, provide expert advice on policy documents, research and guidance on supporting survivors of trafficking, join round tables on specific areas of modern slavery, sit on interview panels, undertake group focus groups and partake in 1 on 1 interviews. Find out more here and submit a request for LEAP consultancy.  HTF’s Survivor Hub  Survivor advocates and HTF have created an online Survivor Hub, a place for survivors to find opportunities for work and paid research participation, to find resources on education, housing support, the NRM, mental health support and includes directories of support providers and legal advisors across the country. Please share this widely in your networks. If your organisation has resources or opportunities that you would like included please email [email protected]. HTF’s Emergency Support Fund The Human Trafficking Foundation’s Trafficking Emergency Support Fund is available to help victims of human trafficking and modern slavery with small one-off grants to meet their immediate needs when no other sources of funding are available. If you are a support worker, you can see guidelines and complete an application form here on behalf of your client and email it to [email protected]. Updated London Modern Slavery SPOC Directory  The Human Trafficking Foundation has been working with local authorities in the Greater London area to support the development of their response to modern slavery and human trafficking. As part of this, we produce an annual directory of Modern Slavery Single Points of Contact/Champions in statutory authorities across London including representatives within the NHS, police and local authorities. Please contact [email protected] to request access to the directory or for any amendments. London Directory of Services  HTF has created a Directory of Services, bringing together details of support agencies for survivors of modern slavery across London. The Directory is a live document, with more organisations added all the time. Access it now on our website under resources. If there is an organisation you think should be included, or to amend any information please email [email protected]. Mapping Survivor Support Services Our map of UK survivor support services aims to be a useful tool for people working with survivors to see what services are available in their area. View the map here. If your organisation provides support of any kind to survivors of trafficking and would like to be added to the map, please email [email protected].